QUENCH-PD: PD and changes in eating & drinking behaviours version 1

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    QUENCH-PD: Qualitative Exploration of Drinking, Dietary and Lifestyle Changes in those living with Parkinson’s

  • IRAS ID

    358130

  • Contact name

    Carrie Stewart

  • Contact email

    carrie.stewart@abdn.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Aberdeen

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 10 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Parkinson’s disease (PD)is a common brain disease in older people. The main symptoms are tremor, stiffness, and slowness. Other important symptoms, such as loss of smell and constipation, are known to occur before the diagnosis. We call these early symptoms. They may be associated with changes in a person’s eating and drinking habits. Changes in eating and drinking habits may cause other symptoms. For example, drinking less can cause low blood pressure, leading to dizziness and falls. Falls and low blood pressure are common for people living with PD.

    Our group’s research has identified that people with newly diagnosed PD drink a lot less water than people without the condition. However, we do not know the reasons why they drink less water.

    We want to find out more about the food and fluid intake in persons living with PD to allow us to identify if food and fluid intake changes during the course of PD.

    To answer this, we will interview 10-12 persons living with PD and 10-12 family members/ care givers (if appropriate). We will ask them about their experiences of eating and drinking habits and any changes in these which they may have noticed and may be related to PD.

    What we learn from this study will allow us to support people living with PD to live as well as possible with the condition. It will inform the design of our planned future study for an intervention which can improve drinking habits of those living with PD.

  • REC name

    London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    25/PR/1224

  • Date of REC Opinion

    30 Sep 2025

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion